Toys and teaching aids exist that use mechanical connectors to quickly assemble electronic circuits. Further, toys and teaching aids exist that use a mechanical connector to quickly assemble mechanical structures. Some of these mechanical structures add a motor for motion or a light for visual effects. These toys are often used to amuse a child or teach some mechanical or electronic principle. Quick connect electronic assembly systems currently being sold usually consist of a box of electronic devices mounted to quick connect electronic modules. Diagrams for electronic circuits are included to educate a student or entertain a child. Most of these circuits are assembled in the same or parallel plane, and the circuit paths are not part of a three-dimensional mechanical structure such as a building, a Ferris wheel, or an airplane, to name just a few.
Examples of previous construction block patents include U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,796 to Shackelford, which provides a child's construction set containing virtual intelligence and is interactive and smart. These characteristics may be exhibited to a player during player construction activity with the set and, thereafter, during continuing play; this instills a sense of unpredictability to play. The set incorporates a programmed controller (17), a speaker (23), special (“smart”) play pieces or blocks (1,3,5,7, et cet.), and a base (15) on which to position the play pieces or blocks. Sensors (A1-C3), referred to as “hot spots,” are distributed at various positions about the base and are coupled to the controller, whereby the controller identifies special play pieces and the location of those play pieces when the respective play piece is installed at one of those positions. Some of the special play pieces may depict characters, some contain electrically operated devices, and some contain a player-operated input device. The controller issues speech messages or other audible effects through the speaker to effect a virtual personality to the character play pieces as well as controls operation of electrically operated devices in special blocks, and detects and responds to player inputs from the player input blocks. Through wireless communication devices, the controller may acquire information from and supply speech messages to accessory blocks that are used off the base of the construction set.